To Covet

There is no master more ruthless, no jungle more wild, and no
fire more fierce and consuming than the reactive mind. Therefore the
battlefield of the mind is the only one we have to conquer, the only prison we
have to walk out of, and then we can realize we have always been free. Freedom
is the true nature of our being.

Why do we covet? The earliest example of covetousness I have
been exposed to is with Abel and Cain, in the Bible. And then there was King
David who coveted Bathsheba.

One of the possible answers is because we were programmed
into it. I will not go into the details of this. I can only give you the
examples from experience as I had them.

As a child I knew the fine things in life. There was something different, a memory of
some distant past so my preferences have always been different. I knew what
real lace was, what a goblet was, what
heavenly music from the classical masters were even before I knew their
names.

This is entirely out of context into the setting I was born
to. I grew up on a farm but having had
comfortable relatives on my mother’s side of the family allowed me to
witness and be part of a different side of life. Affluence in the city in stark contrast to the simple life on a farm. Somehow I felt at ease on both settings, without much effort.

As a child,there were times that I did covet those fine things that my cousins
had. It felt bad. Luckily, I was very fortunate that there
were no people that I loved the most other than my parents and I listened to
them when I was a child. Not out of fear but out of deep love. I learned much, and early on.

I know what it is to want something so badly my thoughts
could almost be carved in stone. I have experienced it in all areas of my life:
love, family, career, the outside world.

We all buy into this one way or another one time or another and every
once in a while, it will pop up. We are
bombarded with these messages every day of our lives. The message is “To be rich and famous is to
be happy therefore pursue everything that will make you rich and famous, then
you will be happy.” In my case, I simply wanted to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry or Medicine and Physiology. So my carrot was fame, in Science. Most of us would like to be wealthy. I never dismissed it, but it was not what motivated me.

The sages have long known that this world is no more than an
illusion, but it is so real to us. As he meditates,he sits like a rock, untouched by the whirling of the winds of the mind and knows that the whole world is contained within him. What is there to covet?

I will insert here a story that makes me laugh each and every time. For the record, it took me ten years of work to appreciate the humour in this story, or for that matter to solve one koan. I was simply living life as I knew it, bound by the shackles of my own mind.

So the story goes:

A scholar went to see a reknowned sage. He was in competition with one other scholar and wishes to beat him as to which one would have the better, deeper knowledge. They each went their separate ways and decided to meet after a certain time.

But the sage knew what he was up to so he kept mostly silent while the scholar was learning from him, writing every word that the sage uttered and analyzing them. All this time, this scholar who was to a Brahmin family served as a servant to the sage. His desire to beat his competition was fierce.

As the sage was aware of his motives, he now told the scholar that when he comes back he would have to pay for the teaching.

After a few years...yes, a few years, when the time to meet his competitor came he was armed with volumes and volumes of journal. The competitor thought he was beaten, so on their way back to the University, he managed to get rid of the volumes of material that the scholar wrote. The scholar cried in anguish and decided he will go back to the sage.

He worked for a few years to save for enough money to pay the sage. When he came back to the sage, he gave him only part of his savings in the form of gold dust so that he could still have some money left. But the sage demanded more and more or he would not begin the teaching. The scholar was furious and frustrated at the same time but he wanted the teaching so much, he gave the sage the whole pouch.

When the sage knew that there was nothing left from the scholar, he could not even pay for his way home, the sage danced in joy while throwing away the gold dust in the river. The scholar almost went insane. Almost.

The sage then turned to him and said "You fool. What do I need the gold dust for? The whole world is gold to me. Do you really think you can buy my teachings for a pouch filled with gold? You will now have to serve me for ten years as a servant for me to teach you anything."

Needless to say, those ten years tested everything that the scholar was hanging on to. It became thirty years later before he went back to his hometown. At any time, he was free to leave the sage and go back, he was told. He would be provided for transport and food.

And he did find what he was looking for.

To rediscover what we have forgotten is a lifetime
quest. Sometimes it will involve many
lifetimes. We have to look into our
minds but not while we are in it! Otherwise we will be like the worm that makes
silk. We spin and spin and spin silk until we are so enclosed in it that we
suffocate.

This is what meditation/prayer/contemplation teaches us, to
be able to see that we are willing prisoners of our minds.

Unfortunately there is no one who can do this for us. We
have to do it on our own in our own time. There are no right or wrong decisions
per se. There are only pathways, if we care to look.

Covetousness is a result of fundamental belief in lack. This
is what we debunk when we go into meditation.

I end this with the
normal disclaimer. There is nothing wrong with desire or with being rich and
famous if that is your passion . Desire in and by itself is how we manifest
things into this physical reality.

You honor it until
the time when you are ready to look for something else. You honor yourself and
your path. But every once in a while, ask yourself : Are those really your
goals or are they programmed into you?

“You are what your deep driving desire is. As your deep
driving desire, so is your will, as your will so is your deed, as your deed, so
is your destiny”-The Upanishads.

Comments

No HTML is allowed in comments, but URLs will be hyperlinked. Comments are not for promoting your articles or other sites.

sending

Author

msorensson 5 years ago

Thank you, travel-man 1971.

The only point I am trying to make is to not lump every one together. I respect your views.

Ireno Alcala 5 years agofrom Bicol, Philippines

I've seen how the economy of my country, Philippines, falls because of the covetousness of Marcos family.

I think it's correlated when you say, we we're programmed into it. Don't get me wrong, we're humans not machines.

Or we can review the Ten Commandments of God in order to us to fully understand the meaning of covet.

It's not only the neighbor's wife that is at stake here. It can also my properties or yours, not only the tangible things we usually lust to own, even though it's not ours.

May I add it to your definition of covet:

1. to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights

of others: to covet another's property.

I've used usurp that pertains to the filthy rich's wrongdoings (illegal transactions) .

Therefore, to covet is wrong, in any way you see it, without tossing a coin.

Author

msorensson 5 years ago

Let us not be too hard on the rich...they may be very different from what is portrayed....

For the most part, the sentiments of people are independent of their wealth status.

Ireno Alcala 5 years agofrom Bicol, Philippines

There will be always Cain and Abel in this world. It will differ in attributes but still, to covet will still be one of the sensational sins that mankind commit in this world.

The thirst for wants overwhelms the need to help the poor, so the gap widens as the rich continue to usurp the wealth of this planet into their pockets in the form of environmental exploitation and similar situations the clearly defines it.

Author

msorensson 5 years ago

Thank you, Anjili. Desire, I now realize, keeps us interesting....

Anjili 5 years agofrom planet earth, a humanoid

And we continue coveting deep into our lives. This is an issue all humans share. Very well written. Voted up and interesting.

"This is what meditation/prayer/contemplation teaches us, to be able to see that we are willing prisoners of our minds."

Thanks for sharing.

Author

msorensson 5 years ago

Thank you, loveofnight. Indeed we discern by the contrasts. I look at perfection as the balance in those contrasts, but also the environment in which they occur.

Thank you for reading and leaving your comment.

loveofnight 5 years agofrom Baltimore, Maryland

I believe that perfection dose not live here. I believe in the balance of opposites. As there is good there is also evil,as there is ugly there is also pretty....Even if we don't realize it I believe that we all are guilty on some level. But then again there may be perfect people here that are sinless. Great thought provoking hub...thx 4 share

Jackie Lynnley 6 years agofrom The Beautiful South

I gave up all my desires for my husbands'...now I am working on a few of my own. Great hub, I think too many people don't know who they are and may never. I know everyone can't be a leader but I say never be a follower. It steals who you really are.

Author

msorensson 6 years ago

Thank you, Scarlett My Dear, for sharing all these books with us. Yes, I read most of them, except the last one you wrote!! I ought to look at it when time permits.

Much love, Melinda

Scarlett My Dear 6 years agofrom Missouri

*Big smile* Melinda.

Those self-clearing books were my savior in my early twenties when I was really good at coveting! Therapy in a book.

'The Road Less Traveled', M. Scott Peck, M.D.

'You Can Heal Your Life', Louise L. Hay

'Creative Visualization', Skakti Gawain

'The Celestine Prophecy', James Redfield (Fiction)

'What Do You REALLY Want for Your Children?',

by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

'Love Is The Answer: Creating Positive Relationships',

by Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D. and Diane V. Cirincione

To name a few.

Honored as well!

Love!

Author

msorensson 6 years ago

I love this, Scarlett

"It is in the journey that we, eventually, learn to live with eyes wide open, heart and mind exposed and free of fear. I can see how my spirit has developed in this form, from childhood through adulthood, a metamorphosis perfect in its beauty and imperfection! I invite change, though I dread it. I invite love, though I fear it. I invite my spirit, through honest self-reflection to experience life on this planet, at this time, with these challenges, for I know it is short-lived and I know that there are people like you who I will share in that journey."

It is actually, written differently, slightly differently, in one of the self clearing books I have read a long time ago.

I am honored to meet you and honored that we share this journey together.

With love,

Melinda

Scarlett My Dear 6 years agofrom Missouri

Dear M,

I enjoyed your thoughts here more than you'll know, as well as thoughtful comment from your followers. It is always refreshing to 'happen' across someone who shares in theory and emotion and attitude.

Your first paragraph drew me in instantly...

~There is no master more ruthless, no jungle more wild, and no fire more fierce and consuming than the reactive mind. Therefore the battlefield of the mind is the only one we have to conquer, the only prison we have to walk out of, and then we can realize we have always been free. Freedom is the true nature of our being.~

Truly, the mind, is the only prison we have to walk out of. I believe this Human Experience was fashioned for that very purpose, to embrace the spirit within by letting go of those things, people, ideals we so covet.

It is in the journey that we, eventually, learn to live with eyes wide open, heart and mind exposed and free of fear. I can see how my spirit has developed in this form, from childhood through adulthood, a metamorphosis perfect in its beauty and imperfection! I invite change, though I dread it. I invite love, though I fear it. I invite my spirit, through honest self-reflection to experience life on this planet, at this time, with these challenges, for I know it is short-lived and I know that there are people like you who I will share in that journey.

I am so thankful to have crossed your path.

With Love, right back at ya ~Scarlett

Author

msorensson 6 years ago

Thank you, brightforyou.

Helen 6 years agofrom Florida

Excellent hub, full of truths about the strangle-hold of the mind. Thank you for reminding me of priorities.

Author

msorensson 6 years ago

Thank you drpastorcarlotta. You, my friends, the gift of life and the love of my family and friends are my treasures. Priceless.

Wonderfully well written Hub msorensson, I like. Voted up! Thank you for this Hub!!! Your a blessing! I have missed you...

Author

msorensson 6 years ago

Thank you, Tom for coming and leaving a comment.

tom hellert 6 years agofrom home

MS,

i sorta always knew what it meant but was too lazy to ever look it up- at least I am honest about it and I do not covet your knowlrdge so to speak but in my opinion i know its a sin but

To want is human to want what someone else has may be wrong but it to is natural-

( ndon't fault "coveters" but they need to keep their theiving hands off my stuff because Covet is 1/2 wat to thefti think that is what is the really bad part "the next step- i think god was just looking to head us offat the pass so to speak..

TH

Author

msorensson 6 years ago

That is so wonderful, Ashley...your parents are lucky. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment.

ashleyyoung 6 years agofrom United States

Thought provoking post Msorensson. My deep driving desire is painting a smile on my parents' faces. No matter how long my day has been, or how stressful an errand I run for them, it's definitely worth it when I know that I've made them happy, and they acknowledge it with a smile. :)

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Great, bandrocker. Thank you.

brandrocker 7 years ago

Great hub... My purpose? May be to serve the people around us....

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you Sa'age. You are too kind.

Sa`ge 7 years agofrom Barefoot Island

That opening was melting me, and you say you can not put such words together, by muses that be, you are good! :D

I so enjoyed the wisdom flowing through this hub. Thank you so much. voting and hitting those buttons this is a very wonderful hub. :D aloha

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you Lita,

I appreciate your coming and leaving a comment.

Lita C. Malicdem 7 years agofrom Philippines

This is a good reminder to all of us. Covetousness is a sin. It's wanting to have what others have. If this becomes a habit, it may even lead you to steal. At least this was how my catechist in the grade school taught me. I somehow took it seriously because I didn't want to steal.

As a child I imagined the bad image I would suffer if caught. And besides, my parents are honorable people, who don't deserve to have children on the loose. They earned our keeps as honestly as they could. Today, I'm proud to have embraced simple life, contented with what I can do amidst challenges and adversities- with this level of success I now enjoy with my family. I work hard for things I want to own and is contented with what I can come up with. Thanks.

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

You are too kind. Thank you vocalcoach. OMG..Thank you that is sooo sweet.

You already have it!! For it is the heart that sees and yours is pure, I can tell.

Audrey Hunt 7 years agofrom Nashville Tn.

Melinda - Do you realize that you are a beautiful woman?

I am referring to your photo as well as your spirit. Take a minute and view your photo - just look at your loving eyes, beautiful flawless skin, dark hair and high cheek bones. And then, cast your eyes on that Mona Lisa smile. Then, I ask you this: How can I not covet your beauty (as well as your wisdom)? Great hub worth reading repeatedly.

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Catching yourself is fantastic! Once one acknowledges it, it loses it's power...it is truly amazing.

Oh our humanity will always make us desire...there is nothing wrong with it.

We are allowed to enjoy the bounty of this earth.

Thank you for stopping by GmaGoldie

Kelly Kline Burnett 7 years agofrom Madison, Wisconsin

msorensson,

I fight this demon within me - constantly catching myself. Fantastic Hub! Rated it up and awesome! You keep us grounded with great insights expertly written.

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you creativeone59. Blessings be bountiful unto you!!

benny Faye Douglass 7 years agofrom Gold Canyon, Arizona

A thumbs up, my friend Melinda, what an inspirational and awesome hub. Thank you for sharing it.Godspeed.creativeone59

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you, Money Glitch. When you do it, sooner or later you will come to the conclusion that what the sages say is true. There is nothing to seek outside of you. For you are everything.

Money Glitch 7 years agofrom Texas

This is a very thought provoking hub, I really like this statement. "Covetousness is a result of fundamental belief in lack. This is what we debunk when we go into meditation." I choose to meditate on this today. :) Thanks for sharing. :)

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you Springboard :-)

Springboard 7 years agofrom Wisconsin

Very well said. I'm glad I came back. :)

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you KFlippin. To covet is a programmed response but essentially one can train the children to not covet.

I remember very well when my son was four years old.

I took him to a three story department store that sells every toy one could imagine and told him he could get whatever he wanted, it did not matter how many.

After two hours, he decided he only wanted one.

Even when he was little I never had to burp him. He always stopped before filling up. This is as we speak right now. He is, or was born internally self sufficient. We can train ourselves to be like that. It takes a little while...

KFlippin 7 years agofrom Amazon

This seems a timely hub topic for today, with the the throwing of stones betwixt those who have and have not, and those who want to have. It was beautifully written, and I hope it touches many, and ultimately what you have conveyed is the truth of life.

We are surrounded from birth by coveting, I do think it is human nature, coveting, it is how we handle that desire, and how we choose to let it continuously direct our life that really needs to be explored today. And .... I'm rambling, tend to do that, but perhaps part of the human experience is to covet for a while and hopefully let that sense of wanting go eventually, certainly not direct their life forever more.

Lots of successful folks have given their fortunes to others, fortunes derived from essentially coveting, the drive for success that comes from coveting, yet they passed that wealth on for the betterment of the lives of others, rather than build the gigantic Golden Monuments of old that much wealth was poured in to, and much sweat and death no doubt, to see the coveter of power and wealth die .....surrounded by what he coveted, no thought for others. In that respect, we can say that this world has greatly progressed.

VERY, VERY well written and thought provoking!!!!!! I like it! Voted-up!

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

These are normal human desires and there is nothing wrong with them. Never give up your dreams so easily...they are a reminder of the creative spark.

Wow..this is so wonderful..that you are adopting small children..Graces to you.

Thank you for sharing.

menomania 7 years agofrom Elmira, New York

What is my desire? Now I can say it is to make a difference for my Lord. Although, this is my desire, until fairly recently it always had a little selfish drive to it. Make a difference by getting a book published (so people know who I am) - Make a difference by owning my own business and making money for my family and my church (so people know I'm doing something). Something deep within me has always felt I needed to prove myself, so I coveted recognition. I still suffer recognition pangs on occasion, but by God's grace have overcome it most of the time.

My weakness right now is coveting the life of a retired couple with grown children as we now have 3 small children we are preparing to adopt. I must constantly remind myself, "My desire is to make a difference for my Lord." This usually keeps me focused.

Great hub and thank you.

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Hey,Springboard,

Thanks so much for dropping by

Firstly, you ought to know what you really want. Then you MAKE plans to achieve them. Then when you are clear on what you want, your desire should be consistent with WHO you are. In this area, I already know you have a lot of integrity..coherence..togetherness so all you really have to decide is WHAT you want.

Then you act on the plans :-)

Springboard 7 years agofrom Wisconsin

A very interesting and contemplative hub Msorensson. In the end for me it all boils down to action and hard work to achieve one's goals and obtain one's desires—whatever they may be. I think that was the moral of the story. If not, please do point me in the proper direction. :)

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you Nell. Me too! I do have one ego desire :-)

Much love to you.

Nell Rose 7 years agofrom England

Hi, this certainly made me think, by the way, glad to see you writing again, I ran out of hubs to comment on! lol but seriously, I don't think that I covet anything anymore, I always wanted something like everybody does, but now all I ask for is health and a happy family, maybe my ambition will come back for something else or more, but not at this time. nice one, cheers nell

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thanks for dropping by, katie..:-)

katiem2 7 years agofrom I'm outta here

Your welcome and thanks for ABBA great song and your right brightened my day! Peace dear friend PEACE!

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you Mekenzie for dropping by. I understand perfectly what you mean, life keeping us busy, so I just appreciate the time you came and read the hub.

Yes...to appreciate what we have is the first step...oftentimes we realize we don't really want the things that we THOUGHT we wanted. Realization of that, awareness of that is far better than acquiring things...

Susan Ream 7 years agofrom Michigan

ms, been so long since I've taken time to read up on some of my favorite hubbers. Life is busy here and reading is a luxury right now. I'm so glad I chose to read this hub. I have had much and I have had little ... I have learned that contentment is the key .. in all situations of life .. it is not what we HAVE but who we have become .. in our hearts.

The comments of your readers are profound and deep! This hub and your readers have led me to some needed reflection.

Blessings!

Mekenzie

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Oh.. thank you Katie, I will look.

I did look. I love the music!! Thanks soooo much.

katiem2 7 years agofrom I'm outta here

You know I'm all about peace, harmony and freedom of the spirit. To covet is to remove all the vital life. This reminds me of one of my favorite videos for visualization. I'm so happy to imagine you enjoying this video so do give it a look.

A great learning for me in so many ways. Thank you. I will cherish this Hub. Bookmarked, obviously!

Love and peace

Tony

RevLady 7 years agofrom Lantana, Florida

One of the best thought provoking hubs I have read here on hp. You made some very interesting observations and gave a profound "spin" on the concept of covetedness. Thank you for the depth of thoughts. Thumbs up!!

Forever His,

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you, A. M. Werner. This is also directly correlated with the parable of the rich young ruler.

Thanks for dropping by.

Allen Werner 7 years agofrom West Allis

1 Timothy 6:6-8 'But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.'

We all possess expectations quite a bit higher than that, but if we can learn to accept that as truth with great humility, no condition we are ever in will cause us to covet. As you have stated, we have a long way yet to go. Good hub. Peace.

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you Micky for dropping by. Great to see you.

Micky Dee 7 years ago

"this world is no more than an illusion, but it is so real to us"- It is an illusion. It seems real. Great hub Melinda! Thank you Ma'am!

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

James, so wonderful to see you. Thank you so much for dropping by and leaving a comment. I hope your book is well underway and almost done.

James A Watkins 7 years agofrom Chicago

I love your words on this page. Thank you for educating us about the warpage that causes— and is caused by—covetousness. Well done!

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you DynamicS. I appreciate. Much love always, Melinda

Dynamics 7 years ago

Melinda, as always this is profound and thought provoking. Covet in my mind is a negative term and one of the ten commandments is "Thou shall not covet thy neighbour's..." I guess what I'm saying is that I've always thought that I am not a coveteous person. This is based on chritian values and also a deep knowing that I can have whatever I desire. I do desire the BEST in life. So here goes; I covet great health, happiness, peace, fairness and goodwill amonge all.

Thanks for helping me to think the idea...

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

@dallas, oh thank you so much for sharing, dallas..

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

@silvergenes...

The most traumatic experience of my life was the death of my father, and then getting divorced...

It did not fit well with my imagination..but it was a path that came..I grieved and moved on.

Thank you so much for sharing everything.

Hugs,

Melinda

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

@deGreek...Oh you are too kind. Kiss :-)

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

@saddlerider1...I have known this a long time. There was a time when I was married that was ages ago..I bought things, mostly expensive things BECAUSE I was lonely...but I soon found out that the happiness from those only lasted a few hours...

Now my son tells me, wow, I need so little and use so little..lol

Thanks for dropping by. Much appreciated.

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

@ Theman with no pants: Thank you Jim, I will check him out :-)

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you again, Nellieanna :-)

You are simply a darling. Can I live with you? hi hi

I love you.

Dallas W Thompson 7 years agofrom Bakersfield, CA

Wow...! Opps, hope no one is looking: I got tears in my eyes reading these comments. True, brave souls who want to give, learn and share... I have pursued many paths to buy, rent happiness... As noted above, I discovered "riches" within... What more would one want? To know yourself and to look in the mirror and to love the one looking back (despite knowing your are flawed)...

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

@pop..thank you for visiting!!

SilverGenes 7 years ago

Melinda, this hub is a reminder for me to stay on track, even when I'm not sure where it lies or where it leads. Thank you for the signpost :) I have long since learned that what I 'believe' is of little consequence and (for me) leads down a garden path of tangential thinking. Like a kid in a candy store, I have leapt at the opportunity to learn at every turn in life and this has not always meant good choices. So for me, the award is ‘knowledge’ and the seductive path is ‘learning’. Love is another ‘covet’ but perhaps I am to ultimately learn that it lies within and I do not need a partner in the sandbox of daily life in order to be fulfilled.

As for money and things, I have learned to release them with grace. They may be lovely but they do not define me. I watched my mother clutch at possessions at the end of her life and turn against her children. She was not of sound mind but it was a clear indicator of what had been of prime importance to her throughout her life - things above all else. The odd part is that she was not covetous of things for their own sake but rather for the assurance that she would not be alone. She did not die in that mindset however. She died knowing she was loved (funny how we bring the gift we covet the most and bestow it on another) no matter what she had said or done in her life. Her children, my sister and I, had already been disinherited but it didn’t matter in the end. We had learned to release that which can madden in the pursuit of it. I was holding my mother's hand when she died. Does it bother me that stranger use things that were passed from generation to generation? Yes, it did - very much. But that was my personal lesson to let it go. I could not obtain love and acceptance through things.

When I was a child, injustice made me passionately angry. I was about to confront it head on. Four years after my mother’s death came the dissolution of a twenty year marriage, the fallout from which is still impacting my life almost 12 years later. Loss, injustice, fear, violence, poverty and gross inequity have all come out of the closet as challenges but it helped to narrow the field of what I truly need - peace of mind. I have had too many lessons in these latter years and sometimes have grown very tired - at one point, dangerously so. But now it seems most days that these bitter lessons have not made me stronger or smarter, but larger and more expansive. I choose to let these negatives return to the place from whence they came, causing no harm. To do otherwise would take away from this gift of life. One of my lowest points was when I realized that I could realistically find myself living in a box on the street. When I allowed myself to imagine that even a cardboard box would have lace curtains in the cutout window and flowers in a vase inside, the fear dissipated. Then I was able to create a better place.

When my sister died of cancer 10 years ago, her final words to me were that if she had been allowed to choose anyone on earth to be her sister, she would have chosen me. How much more love could I ever need? So another of my childhood questions was answered. As long as we breathe, we are not alone. We are connected to all people and all life on this beautiful planet. I think sometimes that knowledge is like chickweed. It’s there for the taking and is sometimes considered invasive and annoying when it interferes with our planned gardening methods. On the other hand, it bears gifts that will enhance our lives if only we recognize it. Everything is always presented within a context but that doesn’t mean it is the only way to see it. The mind is a glorious thing!

You have inspired me to meditate regularly again. I still have a long way to go :)

De Greek 7 years agofrom UK

How I "covet" your turn of phrase! I am truly enamoured of the beginning of this hub, "There is no master more ruthless, no jungle more wild, and no fire more fierce and consuming than the reactive mind". And I would would give a great deal to be able to write that one phrase and call it my own!

Well done! :-)

saddlerider1 7 years ago

Melinda what an inspiring and reflective hub.Coveting is such an elusive word. To covet things or values seems a life long quest for so many. I believe from the moment we are born and suckling on our mothers breast the coveting mentality begun.

I have coveted things, stuff, careers all my life and found it mind numbing. The following quote you added rings so true for me.

“You are what your deep driving desire is. As your deep driving desire, so is your will, as your will so is your deed, as your deed, so is your destiny”-The Upanishads.

I have chased the elusive rainbow pot of gold theory most of my life and came up empty, but always learning a lesson from each quest that ended without gain.

I now find at the beginning of quite possibly the last few chapters of my life that as Johnny Cash so clearly sang in his last song. Stuff it's all meaningless and of no value, just heaps of dust in the wind.

Possessions like Empires fade to nothing and leave behind stark reality that time is simply like sand running through our fingers and falling back into the desert.

I live frugally, buying only what I need, not what I want. My wants have become less and less and I've grown older and smarter. Sometimes it takes our lifetime for our eyes to really open and SEE the true meanings of life and it's cycle. All we have left is our nakedness, just as when we came from our mother's womb.

Nellieanna said it so well and so much of what she said is like looking in the mirror glass for me and seeing who I really am and what I have to offer what's left of me to this world of loved ones. Great hub Melinda, one that I bookmarked for rereading with humility.

Thank you, Melinda - I ran back over here to be sure to vote this up and many praises! It's most worthwhile! I notice I typoed 'realistic' optimist. LOL. Oh well - so I covet not making so many doggone typos! LOL. ROFL!

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Ohh thank you, sweet sweet Nellieanna. I love your wisdom as well.

And indeed you have shared so much of yourself!!

Thank you!!

Nellieanna Hay 7 years agofrom TEXAS

I enjoy sharing my work with people for mutual joy, not for fame. I've earned enough recognition in various areas over my lifetime to suffice for my ego.

My physical desires don't require wealth, but that's a relative value. To some I may seem "well off". To others, I may seem close to poverty. I feel wealthy "where I am". I woke up one January after having to create all the gifts out of virutally "nothing" and realized I was beginning to subscribe to a 'povery mentality' & consciously decided not to!

I like having enough spare cash to buy fresh flowers after buying healthy food. I like staying clear of debt. I like having a couple of pianos and a good keyboard to play. I like having my computers & other great electronics. But I can live without them - except for the piano. ;-)

I own a ranch whose value to me is its heritage & actual beauty more than its cash value. I desire beauty, but since I see it everywhere & make it wherever it's scarse within my sphere, I have it in abundance. In fact, I experience life as beauty & abundance & I believe it's more a matter of attitude than of actuality. I'm not only fine with that, I rather prefer it. It can't be taken unless I allow it to be.

My desires: to remain fully functioning for the remainder of my life, to be able to offer encouragment to others to be all they can be & live as healthily as possible, to share love where it's real and be happy without it where it's scarse. I passionately desire that when I die it will be actively "in my tracks", still functioning well & being NO burden to others. I live accordingly. Leaving a legacy, for me, is more about leaving my actual output rather than a monetary symbol of it, and having made a difference in lives of those who touched mine.

This is a valuable hub, Melinda. Your wisdom is vast and I agree with it so much! BTW - as a kid I guess I coveted being recognized and "heard" - as well as something I still prefer - being correctly understood (not equating to agreement) rather than categorized. I try to be clear.

I, too, was exposed to fine things & ideals as a youngster, though my folks were struggling & money was scarse & they both came from farmers who had standards. Dad believed in simplicity & quality over "show" & quantity in his personal things and Mother inherited some lovely things of value and an eye for bargains on collectibles which she acquired. Education was high on both their lists of values.

We always had ample books, music, art and ideas, so that those were just part of 'how it was'. Mother sewed beautifully so I had pretty enough clothes & learned young to make my own to suit me. Still, at times I coveted "ready-made, store-bought" clothes and wanted finer fabrics to sew, which were not always available. Part of Mother's barbain-nose included buying remnants and bargain fabrics. But this taught me to be resourceful and creative - making something out of virtually nothing. LOL.

Like my Dad, I prize quality, so I guess it's sort of a covet, even when it results in learning to draw the quality from within oneself to add to whatever the outward 'thing' is.

As a teen I coveted that elusive value-"popularity".

However when many of the things I longed for actually came to me - or continued to elude me - I realized I was already fulfilled through my own abiity to create them or to find satisfaction and feel "enough" with or without them.

I very much wanted more joy in my miserable first marriage and did all I could possibly do to promote it; - but it was beyond possibility though I'd, again, found inner peace to deal with even that and all that it finally lost to me. Its lessons were to be even more valuable than even the greatest of losses.

In a nutshell, I enjoy being comfortable in my skin & being an optimistic realist - or a relistic optimist. Living fully now is valuable. Regret is not. Coveting is living somewhere else with regret that it's not one's now. So it's a dire futile waste of life & a dreadful form of negative unrealism or unrealistic negatism. And too often it dominates a life.

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Hey habee,

It is neither good nor bad. Pure desire ..when it comes from a place of detachment [really meaning you would like it but you don't need it] is how you manifest.

To covet something or someone [smiles] that belongs to another is to accept one's lack.

There is nothing one has that you cannot also have..think the computer in Star Trek ..

Kirk says "Computer, coffee black" and the computer spits it out. It is exactly the same if you can put yourself in those shoes..

Thanks.

Holle Abee 7 years agofrom Georgia

This is a great hub! I haven't coveted in years. Is that good or bad?

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you Jai, so true :-) Great analogy.

Jai Warren 7 years agofrom Dallas, Deep Ellum, Texas

This, Melinda, is a very intriguing Hub. Desiring something can be a dream or an obsession. If we covet our dreams and work everyday to realize them, our lives are fulfilling. If we covet our obsessions, we manipulate reality to meet our needs, at all cost. Great Hub! Very inspirational. Ciao...

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Hi, Christopheranton,

Thanks for stopping by.

I am sure he already knew how to live his life before he went to the Sage.

Thank you for an interesting and deep article, although I have to admit that if I were that scholar I would have strangled the sage. People ought to learn that, if they have to spend a lifetime sitting at someone's feet learning how to live their lives, the only thing they will learn is how to waste your life.

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you for such a wonderful thought, DeBorrah!! Much appreciated, as always!!

DeBorrah K Ogans 7 years ago

Melinda, Wonderfully presented! Much to meditate and contemplate upon! There really is no need for coveting! But only wanting what God wants you to have if you are a believer… As you say: ” There is nothing wrong with desire or with being rich and famous if that is your passion . Desire in and by itself is how we manifest things into this physical reality.” You can like and admire what someone has but one should not to the degree you want it for yourself at their expense.

With God we have everything we will ever need! “Seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness and everything else will be added unto you...” MATTHEW 6. We should always ask and pray if it be in His will for us to have it! Are we not RICH in HIM! “The earth is the LORD’S and all that is within it…” PSALMS 24! Thank you for sharing this marvelous and very inspiring wisdom lesson! In HIS Love, Joy & Peace!

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you Green Lotus. Namaste.

Hillary 7 years agofrom Atlanta, GA

Melina I love that you begin by giving a personal example. Your story is so honest and so easy to relate to. The story of the sage and the student made me think about the concept of worth, particularly in regard to self-discovery and monetary reward. Always a pleasure to read your work! Namaste.

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Oh thank you pop!!

breakfastpop 7 years ago

Thank you for a very thought provoking hub.This is one hub I need to study. Thumbs up!

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thank you hello, hello for dropping by!!

Hello, hello, 7 years agofrom London, UK

Very great definition of covet. Interestingly to read. Thank you.

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Thanks, Valerie. We hear this messages even when we are not consciously aware of them.

Yes, I do agree there is a certain amount of money necessary for us to live, and thank goodness you have not bought into the rich and famous trap, lol!!

Thank you for dopping by and leaving your comments/thoughts.

valeriebelew 7 years agofrom Metro Atlanta, GA, USA

I've heard the quote, "As you think, so you are." Still, much of our thinking is programmed by what we hear. I do not believe fame and wealth bring happiness, as there is too much evidence to the contrary; however, a certain amount of needs must be met in order to rise above the need for survival into a mode of thinking that allows us to reject many of the lies we are conditioned to believe. Thanks for a thought provoking hub. (:v

Author

msorensson 7 years ago

Hi, Martie,

Thanks so much. I have none.

I am simply grateful for every breath and for another day that I can be with my son and two babies, my dogs, oh technically my son's dogs.

If you ask me of my ego desire, I have one:

To sit on the Board of Directors of the Salk Institute so I can propose that they put more work into the human mind.

Thanks so much for dropping by!! Please feel free to email me if there is anything I can do for you.

Martie Coetser 7 years agofrom South Africa

Melinda, this is such a thought-provoking hub! I’ve enjoyed every word of it. What is my deep driving desire? I don’t know. I had sooooo many. But currently, I guess, only to be healthy and financially independent. But even this is no longer really a covet, but only a humble hope. I’ve bookmark this one, for I want to read it again and perhaps again. PS: What is your deep driving desire at this stage of your life?